Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Physicists work in a field that combines advanced scientific knowledge with strong quantitative and analytical skills. This career currently supports national employment of 25,000, with projected employment growth of 4.0% and about 2,000 annual openings. The role typically involves substantial work with mathematics, science, and computers and information technology, supported by critical and analytical thinking. Successful physicists also rely on creativity and innovation to approach complex problems, as well as clear writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills to communicate their findings. Project management, problem solving and decision making, and leadership skills further support advancement and responsibility in this profession. With a relatively small national workforce, a defined growth rate, and a high national median salary, this career path may appeal to people interested in rigorous, research-oriented work and long-term professional development centered on deep technical expertise and scientific reasoning.
Physicists earn a national median annual salary of $166,290, indicating strong earning potential for those who enter and advance in this field. Salaries vary significantly across locations. Among top states by opportunity score, California stands out with a median salary of $207,490, while New York reports $181,970. Other leading states such as Washington, Massachusetts, and Colorado show median salaries of $134,790, $106,410, and $104,580 respectively. At the metro level, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area reports a median of $181,970, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara shows $173,450. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a median of $171,580, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim reports $160,270. These figures indicate that while the national median is high, individual salary prospects for physicists can differ considerably depending on the state and metro area in which they work.
The employment outlook for physicists reflects a specialized field with measured growth and a steady need for new professionals. National employment stands at 25,000, with projected employment growth of 4.0%. This growth rate, applied to a relatively small workforce, combines with about 2,000 annual openings to define the scale of opportunity. The number of openings suggests that each year there is a consistent flow of positions arising from new roles as well as other job changes. The 4.0% growth projection is also reflected in the leading states and metro areas by opportunity score, indicating a similar growth expectation across those key regions. For individuals prepared to meet the educational and skill demands, the combination of defined growth, recurring annual openings, and a high national median salary may make this an appealing long-term career path, especially for those committed to advanced scientific and quantitative work.
Location plays a significant role in opportunities and compensation for physicists. Among states, California has the highest opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $207,490 and employment of 5,930. Massachusetts and New York follow closely in opportunity score at 65.87 and 65.78, with median salaries of $106,410 and $181,970 and employment levels of 1,150 and 1,140. Colorado and Washington also appear as strong options, with opportunity scores of 56.97 and 56.29 and median salaries of $104,580 and $134,790. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ lead by opportunity score at 77.42 and 77.27, pairing high scores with median salaries of $173,450 and $181,970. Other notable metros include Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH; and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, each offering distinct combinations of salaries and employment levels for physicists.
Physicists typically need a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the advanced and specialized nature of the field. This level of education supports deep expertise in core areas such as mathematics, science, and computers and information technology. Beyond technical knowledge, the role demands strong critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and decision making, and creativity and innovation. Effective writing and reading skills are important for documenting and understanding complex work, while speaking and listening skills support collaboration and presentation of findings. Project management abilities help physicists plan and execute longer-term efforts, and leadership skills contribute to guiding teams and influencing direction. Together, the typical education requirement and this combination of skills point toward a career path that rewards individuals prepared for intensive study, rigorous analysis, and sustained engagement with challenging conceptual and quantitative problems.
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